australian television information archive

What You Can

Episode 01
Tuesday, November 18, 1997 (ABC)
Written by Alison Tilson
Directed by Aleksi Vellis

Three friends — Robert, and Granger are inspired to start a community youth radio station when Jayse, a feral acquaintance of Zelda's, is killed riding Granger's motorbike. Their good intentions and their friendship are put to endless tests by the motley group of kids who turn up wanting to be DJs but avoid work, their parents, boredom and unemployment.

Desperately Seeking Su Lin

Episode 02
Tuesday, November 25, 1997
Written by Meaghan Smith
Directed by Chris Thompson

The new station hits its target in the person of Curtis, who loves the dance music and uses Zelda's talk-back segment to try to find the girl of his dreams he saw across a crowded train. As a way of coming to grips with her own sexual and romantic entanglement with Granger, Zelda mounts the big search on behalf of Curtis.

Guest starring: Belinda Davey as Marion Lee

Light My Flame

Episode 03
Tuesday, December 02, 1997
Written by Jacquelin Perske
Directed by Chris Thompson

Mark wants to be anything — other than the preppy private school kid on his way to a legal career that his father has planned for him. He cuts himself off from his school friends, neglects his VCE studies and joins Raw FM, aiming to become a DJ. He is not deterred, even though he's unwelcome for coming from the "right side of the tracks".

Guest starring: Nicholas Bell as Neil Mulholland, Natalie Bate as Jill Mulholland

Cara

Episode 04
Tuesday, December 09, 1997
Written by Glenda Hambly and Judi McCrossin
Directed by Sue Brooks

Raw FM is the last place Cara would go — until she turns up to drag her sister Sarah back to the family pub for her shift behind the bar. Sarah's insults combined with Cara's powerful need to be useful result in Cara becoming Granger's assistant. She has to overcome both a revolt by younger kids against her and a betrayal by Mark, in order to hold on to the unlikely place she makes for herself at the station.

Guest starring: Petru Gheorghiu as John Tomic, Gina Gaigalas as Jeannie Tomic.

Playing with Fire

Episode 05
Tuesday, December 16, 1997
Written by Alison Tilson
Directed by Kate Woods

Sarah launches an anti-censorship campaign making merciless fun of the naive view of kids held by adults and the authorities. She flushes out people who sympathise with her views — including Frank, a neo-Nazi with a winning smile and deadly opinions. Her campaign divided the kids at the station against her and against each other.

Guest starring: Petru Gheorghiu as John Tomic, Gina Gaigalas as Jeannie Tomic, Natalie Bater as Jill Mulholland, Nicholas Bell as Neil Mulholland, Aaron Jeffrey as Frank.

In Arcadia

Episode 06
Tuesday, December 23, 1997
Written by Kate Gillick
Directed by Aleksi Vellis

Gerry copes better in cyber-space relationships than in real ones. When money is stolen from the Raw FM bank accounts Robert turns to Gerry with her computer skills to retrieve the money. The dark corners of the Net Gerry explores are being manipulated by her own cyber pal — Red Ruthie -who has created a complex diversion to lure Gerry out of her isolation into a horrifying real encounter.

Guest starring: Dominica Ryan as Ruthy, Brett Swain.

A Raw Nerve

Episode 07
Tuesday, December 30, 1997
Written by Alison Tilson and Ray Argall
Directed by Ray Argall

On a trip back to the country town he comes from, Curtis big-notes his new life in the city and the glories of Raw FM to his old mate Wayne. Wayne's so impressed he comes down to check out the action. No one at Raw FM, Curtis included is impressed with Wayne and Curtis betrays Wayne when he crashes Robert's van.

Guest starring: Richard Young as Wayne

Raw N' Sore

Episode 08
Tuesday, January 06, 1998
Written by Meaghan Smith
Directed by Moira Moss

Sam's on a roll, albeit one of her own making. She's cut a single and manages to get herself the top spot at the first Raw FM outside broadcast from a nightclub. Her voice isn't half as good as her PR. When she comes completely unstuck it is Gerry who picks her up.

Guest starring: Maria Papastamatopoulas as Maddi.

Note: Sophie Heathcote was nominated for an AFI award (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama) for her performance in this episode.

The Facts of Life

Episode 09
Tuesday, January 13, 1998
Written by Ranald Allan
Directed by Mick Connolly

Sex is in the air, between the sheets and on the airwaves at Raw FM. Sarah runs a safe sex campaign for the Community Welfare services who have tapped into Raw FM's huge success with the youth demographic. Sarah's interest turns out to be very personal. She's facing a termination of her pregnancy to Granger. It's a shocking development for everyone concerned.

Guest starring: Kevin Harrington as Spider, Rosalind Hammond as Flavia, Tobi Webster as Greg.

B4 & After

Episode 10
Tuesday, January 20, 1998
Written by David Rapsey & Luke Devenish
Directed by Ray Boseley

Granger ups the ante of Raw FM's success by securing a live interview with the visiting Euro pop band B4. The whole event is a tragi-comical farce of such proportions that the fall-out tears the whole station apart.

Guest starring: Sheridan Compagnino as Hayley, Michael Lake as Mars, Jason Crewes as Grant, Jerome Pride as Leon, Shane Nicolson as Paul, Anthony Engleman as Roger.

A Raw Deal

Episode 11
Tuesday, January 27, 1998
Written by Andrew O'Sullivan and David Rapsey
Directed by Gregor Jordan

Robert has been on a bender for weeks. His despair at the direction Raw FM's been taking finally lifts and he starts a push for Raw FM to end the temporary broadcast on a positive note. His plans put him into direct opposition with Granger and Mark. The confrontation results in a move to depose Robert from the position of Vice President. Robert fights Granger at first, then decides for his own reasons to leave Raw FM altogether.

Guest starring: Maria Papastamatopoulas as Maddi, Malcolm Robertson as Serge.

Exposure

Episode 12
Tuesday February 03, 1998
Written by Elise McCredie
Directed by Kate Woods

Granger is looking for an event to re-vitalise Raw FM and draw the troops together after the demoralising departure of Robert. Everything about the event he choses — a fashion parade — is unlikely: from the person in charge, blind Zelda, to the MC Mark. In her attempt to come to terms with the identity crisis the parade provokes, Zelda turns to Robert and after a very acrimonious start, they become lovers.

Guest starring: David Roberts as Conrad

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Episode 13 (series finale)
Tuesday February 10, 1998
Written by Ranald Allan
Directed by Moira Moss

The end of Raw FM is nigh. Granger, Mark and Cara are waging a valiant battle to get a permanent license for the station. Zelda and Granger cross swords over ideologies, time-slots and tactics. The battle turns very nasty when Granger finds out about Zelda and Robert's new relationship. Mark takes over the reins and steers the station to a triumphant, but essentially hollow, victory — based on rejecting anyone over 25 from the station. Zelda and Granger are both casualties and their mutual dilemma brings the three friends who started the station back together.

Guest starring: Nicholas Bell as Neil Mulholland, Natalie Bate as Jill Mulholland, Shane Feeney-Connor as Digger, Belinda Davey as Marion Lee.